Selsey Bill Spring Summary - 2025

 Foreword

by the Editors

If you read the Spring summary of last year, the next two paragraphs may seem very familiar, for they are now repeated here - but this is quite deliberate, for the comments then are equally valid this year......

'As each spring approaches, anticipation starts to build, especially amongst the sea-watchers and those keen to get stuck into some decent up-Channel passage. Throw in the chance of some scarce passerine migrants arriving off the sea and it’s an exciting mix. Will there be a good Pom Skua movement? Will the weather be favourable? What will be bird of the season? Will it be a memorable season? Will it be a bumper year? Well, what follows should hopefully answer those questions….

Once again our stalwart log-keeper JA managed to keep the Bill log going to his high standards, although this year he continued to face a number of work-related and other problems, which inevitably impinged on his available birding time.  We remain very grateful for his time and effort and are thankful that he remains in post with this key role'.

The weather is of course important in deciding how much visible passage is observed from the Bill, on our side of the Channel. The wind direction is generally key to any good movements and this year, on paper at least, the number of potentially good days with easterly elements looked very promising. However, the reality was that in many cases the wind was 'not quite right' being either too blustery, too cold or too far round to the NE - and on some days, even when the favourable SE winds occurred, for reasons unknown, it failed to produce the goods migration-wise. So, what follows is the spring summary of which species appeared this year, whether in above or below-average numbers, with a few surprises in between. (OM)

The Selsey Bill Recording area (south of the line between the old Coastguard Station to the west and the Lifeboat Station to the east)

Selsey Bill Sea-watching - Spring 2025 Summary

Compiled by Justin Atkinson

Once again, it was a spring when a good deal of observer effort was put in, with every day in March, April and May being covered, and an overall total of 437.5 hours watched (March 104.5, April 174.8, and May 158.2hrs). This compares favourably with last spring’s total of 401 hrs and it is also pleasing to note that there has been at least some coverage on every single day of the year at the Bill for the last few years!

Summary of wind directions this year:

March – wind mainly NE-ENE for all but five days. Moderate to fresh 2-5.

April – wind generally in the E for all but five days

May – moderate E/NE then round to the W in the last week

Great Northern Diver –  Throughout March, from one to eight birds were seen offshore, but 12 were present on the 26^th and 14 on 19^th. Numbers dropped slightly in April, with one to five offshore during the first half of May and then only one or two sporadically up to the end of the month, although a few birds came into full summer plumage by mid/late April.

Red-throated Diver – A reasonable spring total of 341. Three-quarters of these were in March, 85 in April and just 12 in May. The occasional bird was also seen offshore, and the last sighting was of two on 13^th May.

Black-throated Diver – A below average spring total of 12, with five seen in April and seven in May, with the last sighting on 13^th May.

Diver sp – Of those divers not specifically identified to species, 16 flew east and seven west.

Great Crested Grebe – One to three birds were seen regularly, either offshore or going east or west, with an unusually high count of five on the sea on the 2^nd and 5^th March. Not seen after 14^th May.

Red-necked Grebe – One flying west close inshore on the late date of 3^rd May was in full summer plumage.

Slavonian Grebe – Between one and four birds were seen on most days up until the 23^rd March. The last record was of two on the sea, and one flying east, on 4^th April.

Fulmar – Totals of 31 east and 129 west, most sightings in April.

Manx Shearwater – A low spring total of just 22. The first was seen on the 20^th April, all the others were in May.

Sooty Shearwater – One sheared west on 26^th May at 15.25hrs, a highly unusual date for this species.

Gannet – Totals this spring were 1,322 east and 928 west, over half of these being in April. The biggest day count was 140 east on the 20^th April. There were also occasionally smaller numbers offshore, either sitting on the sea or in feeding flocks.

Cormorant – No noteworthy counts made. However, birds were seen every day in varying numbers.

Shag – Reasonable numbers seen in March, with the sightings following the usual pattern of birds flying east in the morning and returning back west in the afternoons; also, five and four were offshore on the 21^st and 22^nd respectively. It was a similar pattern in April but less often recorded, whilst in May there were only two records, four on the sea on 3^rd and one going east on the 24^th.

Great White Egret – A distant bird west on 5^th April.

Little Egret – One on the 19^th March, one north on 6^th and 8^th April, and another west on 15^th. Singles were also seen on six days in May.

Cattle Egret – Only seen in May. One went east whilst unusually another was in the ‘long’ beachfront gardens on 11^th. Another there on 19^th, and an impressive flock of nine went west on 30^th.

Grey Heron – One east on 28^th April.

Black Swan – One flying east, low above the sea, about a mile offshore on 27^th April.

Brent Goose – The spring total was 4,916, very much above the average, and of these 3,976 were in March, including 941 on the 19^th with 1,166 the following day and 490 on the 22^nd (including a flock of around 400 birds). Another 834 were seen in April and 106 in May. There were also a couple of late movements in May; 32 on 23^rd and 19 on 24^th.

Pale-bellied Brent Goose – One east with Dark-bellied Brent on 30^th March and 18^th April. One east then back west on 23^rd May.

Canada Goose – One went west on 26^th April.

Grey Goose Sp – An unidentified ‘grey goose’ flew west on 15^th March.

Greylag Goose – Two east on 21^st April.

Shelduck – Spring totals were 84 east and 23 west, plus four offshore on 9^th April. Not seen after mid-May.

Wigeon – Only seen in March, with 20 flying east on 26^th and an overall total of just 22 east and three west.

Gadwall – One went west on 7^th May.

Teal – Most moved east in March, 55 in total, with 47 of those being seen on 8^th. A flock of 20 was also offshore on 6^th, whilst a further 11 went east in April.

Mallard – Between one and four local birds were seen occasionally.

Pintail – The spring total was a healthy 301. The vast majority were in March, including 162 seen on 7^th, that being the second highest day count for the site, and a further 111 until the end of the month, whilst just 28 were logged in April.

Garganey – Six were recorded; four on 24^th March and singles on the 3^rd and 25^th April.

Shoveler – A good total of 344 was recorded, including 144 on 7^th March, along with a good Pintail movement. Thereafter a further 97 passed during March, followed by 102 in April and just one in May, on the 9^th.

Tufted Duck – Five sightings totalling 15 east and two west.

Eider – During March an individual was seen offshore most days between the 5^th and 26^th. Three more records thereafter in April and two in May.

Long-tailed Duck – One was seen on 7^th and 22^nd March and what is assumed to be the same bird was reported again five times in early April, with the last sighting being on 13^th when it went east.

Common Scoter – A spring total of 4,304 (1,241 in March, 2,159 in April and 904 in May) is very close to the average. The biggest day movement, of 421, was on 20^th March. This species continues to move throughout May as shown by 600 odd between the 10^th and 13^th. Birds were also lingering offshore, with between three and 30 in March, mainly towards the end of the month, and 50 on 8^th and 21^st April.

Velvet Scoter – A below average 29 east this spring (the average being 40). However, there were also three offshore on 29^th March and eight there the next day. The last were two birds offshore on 24^th May before they headed off west.

Red-breasted Merganser – Seen virtually every day from the beginning of March through to mid-April. Hard to pick out actual migration from the local movements, but totals were 149 east and 76 west. Varying numbers, from two to 11, were offshore in March and April. Sightings declined rapidly after mid-April and the last was seen heading west on 1^st May.

Kestrel – Only two sightings, one on 22^nd March and one on 9^th May.

Hobby – A total of 12 sightings, the first being one heading west on 16^th April, and this or another doing the same the next day. A further five were seen in April and another five in the first 11 days in May. As is usual with this species, birds can arrive very early in the morning, sometimes less than an hour after dawn indicating nocturnal migration. One was also seen to take a passerine high up over the beach.

Peregrine – One hunting offshore on 31^st March.

Sparrowhawk – A rather low eight sightings, perhaps due to a lack of numbers of prey species from incoming migrants.

Common Buzzard – Two were observed over Selsey, from the Bill, on 7^th April.

Honey Buzzard – One north at 13.20 on 9^th May.

Oystercatcher – Totals were 357 east and 219 west. This included easterly movements of 30 on 26^th April and 40 east on 3^rd May. Also, serval sightings of ones and twos on the beach or shingle bar.

Avocet – A total of ten went east, with singles on the 18^th and 20^th March, a flock of six on 19^th April and two more on the 28^th.

Ringed Plover – Three and two on the beach on 11^th and 24^th March respectively, then a handful of other records including 22 going east on 11^th May.

Little Ringed Plover – One recorded by a Merlin App on 23^rd March but was not seen.

Grey Plover – The spring total was 62 east, of which one was seen on the 2^nd April, 16 more in the last week of that month and 45 in May. Also, a late flock of fifty went west on 25^th May.

Knot – The spring total was 44. A flock of 60 birds seen on 22^nd March was more likely to be a local movement.

Sanderling – This species moves late, so the handful of March records are  assumed to be local birds moving between the harbours. In April, 91 were mainly at the end of the month and included 45 on the 30^th. There was a more confused picture in May with 144 east and 96 west. The occasional bird or small flock was seen on the beach.

Dunlin – Just 13 were seen.

Ruff – Singles went east on 4^th and 7^th May.

Bar-tailed Godwit – A good passage of this wader this spring with 1,256 recorded (average 773). The best day was 25^th April when 443 passed, and there were also 360 the next day. There were 93 in May, nearly all of these being in the first ten days.

Whimbrel – An above average spring total of 531. Most birds passed towards the end of April into the beginning of May. The biggest day count was 107 on 9^th May.

Curlew – A total of 33 birds were seen.

Redshank – A flock of 11 flew east on 30^th April and one east on 10^th May.

Common Sandpiper – The first was on 26^th April. Four more were seen in May.

Turnstone – Seen regularly passing in both directions and on the beach and shingle bar.

Pomarine Skua – A total of 47 was recorded, which is very close to the average, with 25 in April and 22 in May. The first sighting was of two birds east on 26^th April and the last was a single on 12^th May. There were no ‘big Pom days’ this year, the best day being the 29^th April when 15 were seen, which was made up of a good-sized flock of 14 and a single. Four dark phase birds were noted this season.

Arctic Skua – A spring total of 97 east is low. The first two were seen on the late date of 9^th April, followed by 52 others that month including ten on the 18^th. Thereafter 43 were recorded in May, whilst one or two were also seen offshore from mid-April through to the end of May.

Great Skua – Numbers are still very low (following the devastating effects of the previous avian flu outbreak), with only 12 seen moving east, all in April, whereas the previous spring average total is 63. First seen on 2^nd April, later than the average first date. One was also offshore mid-month. Just two in May, a bird heading west on 1^st and another, or the same, offshore on 3^rd.

Long-tailed Skua – One east at fairly close range at 13.18hrs on 11^th May was spectacular! It was also seen later in the day passing Dungeness.

Mediterranean Gull – A spring total of 547, mostly in April, included 110 on the 12^th. This species often seems to migrate in pairs. A lot were seen lingering offshore as well, with 300 on the 10^th and 11^th May being the biggest counts.

Little Gull – A very good spring for Little Gulls with a total of 256. There were 54 between 20^th and 23^rd March, then 195 in April including a big peak of 110 of those on the 12^th. In May there were six on the 1^st and a single bird offshore on the 12^th.

Black-headed Gull – Some evidence of migration with 242 seen. There were also large numbers offshore on 27^th April and between the 9^th and 11^th May.

Common Gull – Some movement noted in March, with 126 birds and in April, 128. There were also some offshore between the 9^th and 11^th May.

Lesser Black-backed Gull – Very small numbers noted throughout, but 18 were offshore on 21^st April and a few there between 9^th and 12^th May.

Great Black-backed Gull – Only one count made, 50 offshore on 12^th May.

Herring Gull – A massive 1,657 were offshore, at low tide on the various bars, on 26^th April. There were also two big counts in May, 900 offshore on the 11^th and 1,000 on the 12^th.

Kittiwake – Spring totals were 462 east and 139 west, including 203 east on 9^th May. There were a couple offshore on 27^th April and several feeding offshore between 10^th and 12^th May.

Sandwich Tern – The first obvious migration was of 29 passing east on 19^th March. Counts of 327 in March, 2,835 in April and 354 in May make a spring total of 3,516, which is high. The best day was 18^th April when 411 were seen. Birds were also noted lingering and feeding offshore, with anything from four to 30, but 80 were there on 10^th April.

Common Tern – A dire spring for Common Terns, with a total of 562 logged. The first were four on 1^st April, then another 341 were recorded in April, and 217 in May. The best day was the 5^th May with just 77. Between one and 12 were offshore most days in the last half of April with one to four there during May, but 38 were present on 12^th.

Arctic Tern – Just one in April on the 18^th. In May, 14 on the 5^th and 16 on the 12^th.

Commic Tern – Just 304 ‘commics’ seen this spring.

Little Tern – Two going west on 12^th April were the first and the spring total was 192. There were 120 in April and 72 in May. Some birds were lingering offshore in the last half of April and a few in May.

Black Tern – The first were two on 30^th April, whilst 13 east were seen in May, when there were also birds offshore that month on the 9^th (one), 10^th (one), 12^th (three) and 25^th (two).

Auk sp – Spring totals were 88 east and 119 west, most of these being seen in April.

Guillemot – Nine seen.

Razorbill – A total of 43 were seen.

Puffin – One west on 3^rd May at 05.35hrs.

Woodpigeon – The only noteworthy records were of a flock of 46 heading out southwest, until lost to view on 30^th March and nine west offshore on 6^th April. Two north on 18^th May.

Stock Dove – More spring records than in recent years, mainly of birds heading east, with 35 east on the 8^th being particularly noteworthy. Three more were seen in April.

Great Spotted Woodpecker – One came in off the sea on 7^th April.

Nightjar – One west offshore, until lost to view, at 07.15hrs on 2^nd May.

Swift – Only 31 north all spring, the first being a single on 26^th April. Just nine others in April and another 21 in May. Small numbers present over the houses from 1^st May.

Alpine Swift – One headed east, low over the Bill House garden on 4^th April, before heading back out to sea. This is the second record for this site.

Skylark – A total of 16 flew in off the sea in March. One went west on 11^th April.

Sand Martin –  The first was on 19^th March and 51 were recorded, mostly in April. There were two late arrivals in May on the 10^th and 13^th.

Swallow – The spring total was 636 and the first was seen on 26^th March. Thereafter, 390 north in April, most of these towards the end of the month, with the best day being the 26^th when 140 were recorded. There were 245 more in May, the last incoming migrant seen on the 18^th.

House Martin – A paltry 20 were seen coming in. The first were four on 7^th April and a further 12 were seen that month, but only four in May. Local birds appeared to be present from 9^th April, and these had increased to 20 by 23^rd May.

Tree Pipit – No records for the third year in a row.

Meadow Pipit – A total of 491 incoming migrants were seen, the vast majority of those in March, between the 17^th and 22^nd. There were 36 in April and a very late arrival of a single bird on 13^th May.

Rock Pipit – One north on 23^rd March.

Yellow Wagtail – A spring total of 28, four north on the 5^th April being the first. Only three seen in May, none after 3^rd.

Pied Wagtail – A total of 91 north were logged, with 65 of these between the 17^th and 22^nd March.

White Wagtail – One north on 4^th April and two more likewise on 7^th April.

Black Redstart – Singles were seen on seven days in March with two present on the 24^th. Another was noted on 14^th April.

Redstart – One present on 6^th and one north on the 7^th April.

Wheatear – Two on the beach on 24^th March were the first and there were only four more that month. The next didn’t appear until the 8^th April, when two were seen coming in off the sea and seven were on the beach. Only another ten were seen in April and none in May.

Fieldfare – One came in off the sea and continued north on the late date of 9^th April.

Ring Ouzel – One seen on 25^th April.

Blackcap – One present on 23^rd March

Chiffchaff – A bird was present on 5^th March and one headed north on the 8^th. There were another 27 that month, including eight in off the sea on 24^th. In April, 48 came in off the sea and that included 30 on the 6^th, when there were also 20 present.

Willow Warbler –  The first were 11 seen coming in off the sea on 5^th April, with 18 the following day and a further five the day after that. Also logged were 30+ unidentified Willow/Chiffs which were also seen heading north on the 6^th.

Long-tailed Tit – Two present on 1^st April.

Rook – One flew in from the sea, from a very long way out, on 20^th April.

Jay – Two went west on 22^nd April. Four east on 7^th May, one present in gardens on 10^th and two on 11^th. Another was seen on 22^nd.

Chaffinch – One north on 14^th March, two north on 20^th March and one north 13^th May.

Goldfinch –A total of 39 were recorded heading north in April, with 29 of those on the 5^th.

Linnet – Twenty came in on the 20^th March and 32 on 5^th April.

Siskin – One went north on 9^th May.

Serin – A good spring for this species. The first came in off the sea at 09.20hrs on 12^th April and was noted again the next day. Another or the same was around on the 22^nd and 26^th April. A male flew in off the sea on 27^th April. One was present on 6^th and 7^th May. Another male was seen coming in from a long way out on 11^th May and was seen intermittently until the 17^th.

Reed Bunting – One was present on the 11^th and 27^th April, and 2^nd May.

 

Selsey Bill sea-watchers at the East Wall viewpoint - the regular viewing spot when there's a cool easterly blowing!